The
Redistricting Commission is required to submit legislative and
congressional redistricting plans to the Legislature by December 15,
2001. Redistricting must be finalized by June 30, 2002. The
state Supreme Court will draw plans if the Commission fails to agree on
one or both plans.

Who’s in Charge of Redistricting?

The
four-member, civilian Redistricting Commission is responsible for
congressional and state legislative district plans. Each majority and
minority leader of the senate and house appoints one member of the
commission. A fifth, nonvoting member is appointed by the four voting
members to serve as chair. Members of the commission cannot be elected
officials or party officials. There is no gubernatorial veto power over
redistricting plans.

Districting Principles

Principle

Congressional

State Legis.

Compactness

+

+

Contiguity

+

+

Political subdivisions

+

+

Communities of interest

Cores of prior districts

Protect incumbents

-

VRA 5

+ = required - = prohibited

Public Access

The
Washington State Redistricting Commission will serve as the official
source of redistricting information. The Commission has offices in the
state capital and hosts a website that
includes a timeline, information on hearings, information on Commission
members, maps and data, and more. Statewide hearings will be held by
the Commission at which state residents can learn more about the
redistricting process as well as propose their own plans. For
details about these hearings, go to the Redistricting Commission's website and click on Hearings on top menu.

Political Landscape

The
Redistricting Commission created very competitive congressional
districts in 1991-1992. Using the Center for Voting and Democracy’s
measure of district partisanship, neither party was projected to win
more than 52% in six of the state’s nine districts. The result has been
some of the closest races in the nation, with at least one incumbent
losing in each election in the 1990’s and partisan success veering
wildly – Republicans went from winning one of nine seats in 1992 to
winning seven seats in 1994, six seats in 1996, four seats in 1998 and
three seats in 2000. The next round of redistricting likely will be
similar.

In each state legislative district, there is one state
senate seat and two state house seats. Each house seat is elected in a
district-wide “numbered post” (meaning house incumbents do not run
against one another). There have been significant shifts in the state
legislature in the 1990s, and the current balance is very close.

Legal Issues

No
cases involving redistricting, although the state was in federal court
in disputes with other states over Washington gaining a seat in the
1991 reapportionment.

Legislation/Reform Efforts

The
independent redistricting commission was instituted by initiative in
1982. There have been no major efforts to alter the redistricting
process since its creation.

Miscellaneous

The
Washington State Capital Museum in Olympia has created a board game
titled "Redistrict: The Game of Political Control through
Redistricting." The game has been introduced in conjunction
with the current exhibit "Redrawing the Battle Lines: Redistricting and
reapportionment." The museum is at 211 21st Ave. W., Olympia.